Chukars announce change to 2025 coaching staff

IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Chukars have announced its 2025 coaching staff, including one new name.

Manager and former Major League Baseball All-Star Troy Percival will return, according to a news release from the team. Ten-year big leaguer and former 14-game winner with the Baltimore Orioles, Bob Milacki, will also return as the pitching coach, and Billy Butler, another former major leaguer and 2012 Silver Slugger Award winner, will also be back as the Chukars’ bench coach.

The staff’s lone change is at hitting coach, with the departure of Luke Navigato. He will be replaced by former minor leaguer Garry Templeton Jr.

Idaho Falls was fourth in the Pioneer League, scoring 725 runs (7.6 per game), but lacked extra-base power — finishing 10th out of 12 teams in home runs and 8th in slugging percentage (.465).

Templeton has held numerous positions across the baseball world since 2009, including serving as a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for the past eight years.

“We’re very excited about the coaching staff for the 2025 Chukars,” General Manager Chris Hall said in the release. “For our four years of being an MLB Partner League Team, we’ve been able to assemble a high-level coaching staff and I believe this to be our best yet. The Chukars ended last season playing as well as almost any team in the Pioneer League, and I know that with a year of experience under his belt, Percival is ready to bring a winning team to Idaho Falls for the 2025 season.”

Player-signing announcements are expected soon, Hall added.